F3 Limited Trailering Cover

[LifeLongRider]

I will need to trailer my Spyder at some point in the future and would like to cover the bike while traveling. BRP sells a "Trailering Cover", part no. 219400768 (see pic) that looks like it would do the job. However, I believe that I've read somewhere that it was patterned to fit over the F3 Ltd with a BRP Tall Boy windshield only and may not fit aftermarket windshields. I'm using a 7Jurock 20" windshield that is slightly wider & taller than the Tall Boy (although I have a smaller shield that could be swapped out for traveling if necessary). Has anyone used this cover and does anyone know for sure whether this cover will fit aftermarket shields?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

I will need to trailer my Spyder at some point in the future and would like to cover the bike while traveling. BRP sells a "Trailering Cover", part no. 219400768 (see pic) that looks like it would do the job. However, I believe that I've read somewhere that it was patterned to fit over the F3 Ltd with a BRP Tall Boy windshield only and may not fit aftermarket windshields. I'm using a 7Jurock 20" windshield that is slightly wider & taller than the Tall Boy (although I have a smaller shield that could be swapped out for traveling if necessary). Has anyone used this cover and does anyone know for sure whether this cover will fit aftermarket shields?

Any advice would be appreciated.

That would be a hugh mis-take. If you have nice looking paint job now …. you won't after you cover it and then trailer it. ….. The only successful cover that will work is when the vehicle is Shrink Wrapped, this is sometimes done when Pro's ship new cars / trks to the dealerships...… Mike :ohyea:

[Gwolf]

Any advice would be appreciated.

Don't!

[Rattlebars]

That would be a hugh mis-take. If you have nice looking paint job now …. you won't after you cover it and then trailer it. ….. The only successful cover that will work is when the vehicle is Shrink Wrapped, this is sometimes done when Pro's ship new cars / trks to the dealerships...… Mike :ohyea:

Ditto. They do sell trailering covers but they are very tight and tailored to specific bikes' Best to leave it uncovered and head to the nearest car wash (wand) when you get where you area headed.

[bushrat]

I have a 2017 F3L, along with a BRP trailering cover, and can answer your questions precisely from personal experience. I have hauled my Spyder from Ontario to Florida and back for the past 3 years, both using and not using the cover. First off, you are right about the fit. The BRP trailering cover for the F3L is designed to fit tightly over the bike with its short 'sport' windshield and rear top case. There is a zippered 'expansion' pocket which can be opened to accommodate the longer 'Tall Boy' windshield. However, that pocket really only has enough width to allow the narrow upper portion of the BRP TB shield to slide in. It WILL NOT fit over an F4 shield; that I know from personal experience. I have never tried it with a Jurock shield, but I suspect the result would be the same. I even had difficulty using the BRP trailering cover as a general overnight cover when I had my F4 shield mounted. Mostly, it's a PITA to use as a bad weather cover because the bottom edge has a heavy elastic waist band; you have to physically stretch the bottom of the cover to get it over the Spyder and properly in place. I gave up struggling every night and simply bought a lighter, looser, Nelson-Rigg cover for that purpose. The BRP cover takes up twice or three times the storage area as the N-R cover when folded up. The BRP trailering cover also has two more zippered expansion pockets that can be opened if you have arm rests on your passenger seat. It's a well-made robust cover with a liner, meant to protect it from rubbing against sensitive areas of your Spyder, thereby causing surface rash. It does provide good dry protection from bad weather; can't fault that part of it.

So much for concerns about fit; now for experience gained from use. I haul with a light, open, aluminum trailer, custom-made to haul a Spyder. The bottom has 3 tracks with openings between (i.e., not a solid floor). I also have no stone guard across the front. I have hauled using a Jeep Grand Cherokee, Cherokee a and RAM 1500 pick-up. I travel quickly, at 'upper level' Interstate speeds, often with only brief gas/meal stops. My first trip south was made without using the BRP trailering cover because it wouldn't fit properly over my F4 windshield. You really want any cover you use to fit as snugly as possible, all over, and not to see any billowing or flapping - that's bound to cause trouble. While I travelled without any cover that first trip, and went through a day of torrential downpour in NC along the way, my Spyder got well soaked but suffered no lasting harm. It soon dried out, none the worse for wear, in spite of my concerns as we went along. Moral: Spyders are pretty tough and will survive, even uncovered. On my next trip north, I used the BRP trailering cover; first, I took off the F4 shield, installed a 'Tall Boy' and snugged down the cover all over. I expected to run into some bad weather - freezing rain and snow was predicted, so decided to use. I watched the cover with frequent glances in my rear view mirror all the way up. The front of the cover seemed to stay plastered very tight against the Spyder the whole trip. The tightening straps which go under the front inside the wheels were monitored and adjusted; likewise the belly strap. When I got home, and removed the trailering cover, I closely inspected the bike's paint finish for signs of rash. I found none on the front or the sides. I thought I had escaped any negative consequences. Not quite!!

When I looked around the rear quarters, especially the back corners (top and bottom) of the side cases, I found the red paint had been worn right off in 4 or 5 places about the size of a pencil eraser. Each of the corners was worn, now showing a black undercoat. I put this down to 'friction burn' from the trailering cover jiggling against the painted surface of the plastic side cases, mile after mile. Indeed, when I looked at the inside padding of the trailering cover, I found several areas where the white liner had been 'burned' away. There was something else, too. When I stretched the elastic lower waist of the cover to lift it over and off the top case, my license plate and holder bracket fell on the ground. Seems the constant billowing of the cover at the rear of the Spyder, where it fit tight against the area above the mud flap near the license plate, had caused the aluminum brackets attaching the plate holder to constantly flex to the point where they snapped clean off. Thankfully, that elastic waist formed a little pocket which captured my plate and what remained of the holder and brackets, otherwise it would still probably be lying along a roadside somewhere between Atlanta and Toronto.

I no longer use my expensive BRP trailering cover for hauling, with one exception. I did use it last week to drive 3 hours through heavy rain from St. Petersburg FL to Leesburg, FL. I did this because my custom seat maker insisted that I not screw up the 5 hours of personal fitting he had just done on my new $1100 seat. He knew I had the cover with me. He also knew I was about to gamble on getting home ahead of the cloudburst expected momentarily. We didn't; he was right. I used the cover and kept the new seat dry. I still occasionally use my trailering cover for non-trailering storage purposes. If the weather is going to be really poor, I wait for another day before hauling. If the outlook is not too bad, we travel naked. Yes, the Spyder gets dirty from road grime, but then it gets washed and shined again. When I did use the cover, I found that my Spyder got almost as dirty as travelling naked, from all the road dust that blew up from underneath anyway and got trapped by the cover. You can't win.

Moral to the second part of my story: my BRP trailering cover has just about as many miles on it as my Spyder does sitting on my trailer, BUT, except for those two times I used it, the trailering cover has been inside its carry bag, while the Spyder has travelled on my trailer 'en plein aire'.

Hope that helps. Buy one if you wish; your experience may well be different. The above is simply my take, and that's what you asked for.
Cheers.

[LifeLongRider]

Thank you so much bushrat for the excellent reply and for confirming the windshield sizing information. I had suspected all along that abrasion from the wind on the cover could potentially be a problem and you have confirmed that also. I was surprised to hear, however, that while using the trailering cover your "Spyder got almost as dirty as travelling naked". Sounds like the drawbacks out-weigh the benefits on this one. Now I'm wondering if a solid bed trailer with a stone shield up front would help. As I'm still shopping for a trailer that's something to consider. Thanks again for your concise and to the point reply.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Thank you so much bushrat for the excellent reply and for confirming the windshield sizing information. I had suspected all along that abrasion from the wind on the cover could potentially be a problem and you have confirmed that also. I was surprised to hear, however, that while using the trailering cover your "Spyder got almost as dirty as travelling naked". Sounds like the drawbacks out-weigh the benefits on this one. Now I'm wondering if a solid bed trailer with a stone shield up front would help. As I'm still shopping for a trailer that's something to consider. Thanks again for your concise and to the point reply.

Nope ..... .how's that for Concise :roflblack:...... Mike :ohyea:

[Little Blue]

:coffee: Yes, all good tips. Better is using an enclosed trailer. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR MISSION. ......:thumbup:

[bushrat]

Nope ..... .how's that for Concise :roflblack:...... Mike :ohyea:

Mike, I totally agree that my answer was not very concise.......... but the point of my extensive reply is that the 1, 2 or 3-word responses that many folks give never really explain the "why" that underlies the reason questioners should or should not be doing something. I just took the time to elaborate, give detailed explanations why I own a cover but no longer use it. The OP can decide for himself whether it's helpful, or not. Much like why I always appreciate the detail you (and others like Peter A) supply when explaining why one tire brand is better than another, or why some brands fail to meet requirements. But, you're right; I'm usually more verbose than concise.
:cheers:

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Mike, I totally agree that my answer was not very concise.......... but the point of my extensive reply is that the 1, 2 or 3-word responses that many folks give never really explain the "why" that underlies the reason questioners should or should not be doing something. I just took the time to elaborate, give detailed explanations why I own a cover but no longer use it. The OP can decide for himself whether it's helpful, or not. Much like why I always appreciate the detail you (and others like Peter A) supply when explaining why one tire brand is better than another, or why some brands fail to meet requirements. But, you're right; I'm usually more verbose than concise.
:cheers:

Did you notice my response was to " LifeLongRider " ….. not to you !!! ……….. I quite often give long answers that include info that wasn't asked because I happen to think it's pertinent to the over-all issue ….. Your answer was spot on, I didn't have any issue with it or you ….. ride safe - ride happy ….. Mike :ohyea: